Lorena, what was the biggest high you experienced while building Grind Atelier this year?

Working alongside Marjorie. It’s crazy how she’s the complete opposite of me. She’s structured, organized and likes to work with clear objectives all the time! It forced me to extract my thoughts and structure them so others could understand. She challenged me everyday for the past year. But the most important thing, she made me see my true value. She valued the intangible part of me, the stuff you can’t write on a resume and for that, I am beyond grateful.

What was your lowest low?

This is my last start-up! (Not my last project, but my last business venture). It took every ounce of energy I had, which means, I had very little left for other things in my life. I sacrificed family vacation, friendships, and myself. I neglected important people around me and my health. Do I regret it? No. Was it all worth it? Yes.

Lorena, how were you able to navigate between your family life and running a startup?

Not very well. It’s a constant battle that I have never been able to win. It’s for this reason that I have decided to remove myself from the business partnership and only remain as a cofounder. I am not very good at balancing things in my life. I’m all or nothing and it’s exhausting for me and my family.

I am returning to my previous position as creative director for a private company and will continue to work alongside Marjorie to ensure Grind Atelier continues to exist. It will give me the chance to help others which is what makes me truly happy.

What kept you going?

The clients. There is a real need for what we do. We teach branding and marketing, but more importantly, we break the isolation. We understand the struggles entrepreneurs face everyday and it’s important to build a platform they can go to for knowledge and support. We created a community to make sure they feel a little less alone.

The vision is quite big! It’s going to be the hub where all entrepreneurs can gather to learn, connect and support one another. It will host a list of activities, from educational and lifestyle workshops to unplugged concerts.